My Grandfather Henry Byron served over in Belgium for the B.O.A.R
I hope someone can shed some light on the location and personel facts about the regiment,
I hope to find out because Ive heard the duties he had was of horrific proportions in Bergen belsen, I could not bring myself to ask him in his life time for this reason

The soldiers book scans and a photo of the fire brigade/ regiment

do you have any knowledge of this brigade?,any feedback will be much appreciated.

Regards David

photo of the regiment...Henry is on the end 5th row up

Book scans

Well its a troop of Royal Signals in the photo, with a couple of Staff Officers front row seated ... and as they are wearing blue berets I would guess it was taken about 1949/50

Len

Yes that makes perfect sense, Royal Signals '
The book also says unit 96 Army fire brigade, maybe he was part of (lancashire and Cheshire) Signals but that was formed in 1967? I wonder ..

All the best Len thank you so much for that information

Hi David the T/ in his army number denotes Transport
I can't see an RASC capbadge in the photo
My brother was RASC NS attached to the Fire Brigade in Manchester in 1951-53 this could have just been a fire fighters course.

is this gramps

This is an interesting photograph .. there are three cap badges that are not Royal Signals, one is the Sgt seated extreme right with old style battle dress, then in third row behind seated officer extreme left there is a non Signals badge and the man immediately behind him, also non Signals wearing a khaki beret and old style battle dress. The SSM in the front row extreme left is also wearing khaki beret. The Signals switched from khaki beret to blue around 1949/50, but the cap badge was changed from the oval style surmounted by a Kings Crown to the new style Certa Cito badge with Kings Crown in 1946 ... as I say an interesting photo.

Len (ciphers)

If Byron HC was called up in 1944, that would put his DOB at 1926 (perhaps). The papers show that he was discharged to UK in 1947 (aged 21 or 22?) having served in BAOR. So, theoretically, he could have been part of the logistics org at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.

Turning to the photograph, I tend to agree with other commentators. But just look at the characters. You've got a real mix of age groups there. A few older Offrs and SNCOs - all with a few ribbons. The remainder are all younger with berets all over the place! Could this have been a TA unit around 1960 I wonder?

Hi all commentators, on his cap there appears to be no
signal badge but some symbol of regiment on a black beret
Info I have been told: he was first recalled to training in Stafford for three
weeks in 1939 possibly then to Hastings to cross the English channel to Belgium


and then as Locator says part of the logistics org


I hope to try and get a definitive date on the photo
it will be in possession of some family member


Thank you again for this information



David

The pic looks very much like an independant signals troop with attached personel.It could be an annual admin inspection which would account for the staff officer, or a training course of some sort.
I have found a large number of army fire brigades during WW2 but no 96.
The fire brigades were RASC administrated,which again makes me think that it is a course pic,radio op perhaps

Although the "Jimmy" cap badge was changed in 1946 it was not on general issue untill 1948.

What is a W/Cpl?

It would appear to be common rank. the only references I can find to W/Cpl is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/82/a3310282.shtml

or http://www.hglambert.co.uk/Col1Officers.htm Here

where the W/ applies to Sgt and Cpl, Lcp's get a P prefix. Very strange